What Works: Slip up? Get back up
Submitted by editor on Mon, 01/05/2015 - 10:40am
The new year, 2015, started off with a bang, for me. Well, more like a slip, fall, and crash to the pavement. Not paying attention to my footing as I was walking out my front door, I slipped on ice and fell. My foot went under itself and resulted in a nasty sprain. What happened thereafter taught me lessons that will last a lifetime.
1) I sat there for a bit. Instead of getting up immediately, I sat and came into the present moment. I quickly assessed the situation, came to emotional terms, and prepared myself to get up. Sometimes, when something happens, you have to sit in it a bit to realize where you are at. Being mindful at this moment will give you some clarity and help you take the next right step.
2) I got up. I was fortunate to have someone there when I fell. He helped me up and got me inside, which was the next right action.
3) I tested the waters. Determined to have my steak dinner at Grand Sierra Resort (GSR), iced my foot and walked out to my car. I hobbled into the party and ate my dinner.
4) I accepted the situation. Looking down, I saw my foot swelling. I felt it throbbing. I knew that my dance card would have to be shredded for the evening.
5) I sought help. When you fall, it’s important to know you are not alone. I live a life of generosity, giving freely when I am able to do so — always from a place of abundance. When I put the call out for help, it was there. Friends found a wheelchair and got me back to my car. More friends helped me in the house. Yet more friends came over, wrapped my foot, and got me set up for the night.
6) I knocked down my pride. Nothing will knock down pride, like crawling to bed. I continued to seek and accept offers from my healing team of friends. Through them, I received a host of medical aids: crutches, a walker, a boot, food, and companionship. By not being too proud, I was able to graciously accept their love and friendship in a hard time.
7) I erased fear and moved forward. A friend took me to her house for the night. The biggest fear hit me when I was attempting to go down my steps. Fear gripped me tight and I dug in, “I can’t do it. I will just stay here.” “Move forward,” she said. I moved forward, but changed my approach, moving sideways instead. Sometimes, it takes a change of approach to erase your fear about a situation and move forward in life.
8) I kept moving. Day by day, I improved. I was home-bound for three days after the fall, only getting up to go to the bathroom and feed myself. But I kept moving. I stimulated my mind by reading articles online. I spoke with people on the phone. I accepted visitors who I didn’t have to entertain. I lived to the fullest within my limits.
Yesterday, I got up and lived my day in a walking boot. Although restricted in movement, I found a new crispness and joy to life that I hadn’t felt before. There was joy in the simplest of things. That leads to the final step in recovering from a fall, APPRECIATION. When you appreciate how far you have come, the lengthening of your limits, the people who have helped you along the way, life becomes rich and full every day regardless of your situation.
Today, I am back and working. I am happy, grateful, and mobile with a single crutch and a walking boot. My healing is progressing quickly, both inside and out. Seems 2014 had one last lesson for me after all. How about you, what lessons did 2014 have for you? What has 2015 already taught you? The floor is yours, Carson City.
ABOUT DIANE HANSEN
Diane Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a coaching firm that has helped people worldwide with their businesses, careers, mindsets, and profit margins. She brings to Carson City more than 17 years of experience with a wide array of clients, ranging from top corporations, motivated entrepreneurs and individuals hungry for a fresh start. Her column appears every Monday, and sometimes Tuesday, on Carson Now.
